Anti-blinding mechanism for screen panels



W. R. KITTLE Jan. 3, 1967 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed May 20, 1965 INVENTOR.

HTTOE Jan. 3, 1967 w, KlTTLE 3,295,667

ANTI-BLINDING MECHANISM FOR SCREEN PANELS Filed May 20, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVENTOR.

Milk.

/) TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,295,667 ANTI-BLINDING MECHANISM FORSCREEN PANELS Walter R. Kittle, Durand, Mich., assignor to SimplicityEngineering Company, Durand, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed May20, 1965, Ser. No. 457,372 6 Claims. (Cl. 198220) This invention relatesto an anti-blinding means operating in conjunction with a panel screento release any material wedged in the screen, and prevent said screenfrom clogging with materials being separated or graded.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to provide simple,practical and efficient means actuated by the gyratory movement of thescreen panel for uniformly dislodging all small cucumbers or pickleswhich may become lodged or wedged between any of the screen bars, andwithout injury to the cucumbers or pickles being screened.

Another object of the invention is to provide antiblinding meansimmediately beneath the screen panel, and actuated by the concentricmotion of the screen for striking and dislodging any pickles lodgedbetween the rods in the screen, causing them to be released and thescreen surface cleared for maximum screening capacity.

Still a further object is to provide transversely disposed shaftsspanning the screen frame directly adjacent the screen bars and providea plurality of cylindrical impact sleeves loosely mounted on each shaftfor gyratory movement as the screen panel is driven.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims; it being understoodthat changes may be made in the form, size, proportion and minor detailsof construction, without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a screen structure and myanti-blinding means, parts being broken away and sectioned to moreclearly show the combination.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view with the screen rods broken away,the gyratory shaft and associated mechanism being omitted.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on the line 3-3of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse view sectional through the screenpanel.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the pickle de-blinding roller.

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view thereof.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing one way of connecting the bars and impactsleeves.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings in which Ihave shown the preferred embodiment of my invention.

The letter B indicates a gyrating machine of the general design shown inPatent No. 3,078,890, dated February 23, 1963, wherein is provided aslightly pitched base frame C on which the transversely disposedgyrating mechanism B is mounted, this mechanism including an offsetgyrating shaft 8 journaled in bearings 9 mounted on the base frame.Spaced apart connected side plates 10 are mounted on the gyratory memberB, and conventional spring mountings 11 are mounted on the base frame Cdirectly adjacent the comers of the machine and are connected to theside plates 10 in any desired manner to permit gyration of said screenframe.

3,295,667 Patented Jan. 3, 1967 A plurality of cushioned cross bars 12span the side plates 10 and are bolted to brackets 14 provided on theinner face of said side plates, said cross bars being provided with arubber facing or cap 15, and for a purpose to be presently described.

A pickle de-blinding roller assembly E is spaced rearwardly from thecushioned cross bars 12,. and comprises a shaft 16 mounted in bracketarms 17 which are secured to the cross bar 14 by means of bolts 18 orthe like, and a plurality of individual cylindrical impact sleeves 19are loosely mounted on said shaft, the opening in said impact sleevesbeing of greater diameter than the diameter of the shaft 16 so that saidimpact sleeves are free to move with an eccentric motion as the gyratorymechanism is driven.

The screen panel over which the material flows when the machine is inoperation comprises longitudinally, spaced apart, transversely disposedmembers 20 having a, plurality of longitudinally extending screen rods21 welded to the upper face thereof, said rods bearing on the upper faceof the rubber cushioned cross bars 12, and the impact sleeves aredisposed below and out of contact with the under face of the screen rodsexcepting when the machine is driven, causing the impact sleeves torotate in an eccentric path of travel, striking any pickles which arewedged in the screen panel, freeing them from such wedged position sothat they then continue their progress over the screen panel.

To eliminate wedging of the pickles between the side edges of the screenpanel and the side plates 10, I provide inclined shield members 22 whichare secured to the side plates 10 with their lower edges bent anddisposed over the side edges of the screen panel to eliminate anypickles being wedged between the edges of the screen panel and the sideplates 10.

In FIG. 5 of the drawings, I have shown one way of economically formingthe pickle de-binding roller E which, when cut to proper length, formsthe impact sleeves, and this roller is preferably formed of nylon braidreinforcement material which must be both water and swell resistant, itis formed with a centrally disposed shaft accommodating passage 23, andthe outer surface is crowned to suit the crown of the screen panel.'After the roller is formed, it is measured and cut into a plurality ofrelatively short impact sleeves which when mounted on the shaft 16, havethe same crowned pitch as the screen, so that the entire surface will beaccurately spaced from the bottom face of the screen, and it will benoted that said sleeves have limited longitudinal movement with relationto each other.

The gyrating mechanism is readily driven, a motor M being mounted on oneof the base frame members C, and a belt 24 drivingly connects the motorand gyrating shaft 8 to gyrate the screen panel.

It will be noted that the shaft 16 is located behind and below the panelsupport bars and is supported on the side plates 10 of the machine, andon this shaft 16 is mounted the impact sleeves 19 which can be formed offabric or rubber. These sleeves are free to move with the eccentricmotion of the gyrating shaft, and also have limited transverse movementon said shaft, and the number of sleeves used depends upon the width ofthe screen panel. No power is applied to the shaft 16, the driving isstrictly from the gyratory action of the gyratory mechanism. Thesecylinders rotate with an eccentric motion on this shaft and strike anypickles lodged in the panel, causing them to be removed from theopenings to continue their flow over said panel, and the rubber facing15 eliminates wear and cushions the product coming into contacttherewith.

The machine is simple and relatively inexpensive to manufacture andmaintain, and the impact rollers eliminate blinding, making forincreased production with a minimum of damage to the product beinggraded, and the anti-blinding means can be easily applied to gradingscreens now in operation with a minimum of time and expense.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that I have perfecteda very simple, practical, and economical panel to eliminate blindingwithout injury to the products being screened.

I claim:

1. An anti-blinding mechanism for screening pickles, the combinationwith a driven gyrating means including a frame, of a pitched screenpanel mounted in said frame and gyrated by said gyrating means; screensupport bars mounted in said frame; a transversely disposed shaft; aplurality of impact sleeves mounted on said shaft; said sleeves beingactuated by gyration of said gyrating means and striking the lower faceof the screen panel to release pickles wedged in the screen as themachine is driven.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 in which said screen support barsare provided with a resilient upper surface for engagement with theunder side of said screen panel.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said screen panel istransversely crowned and the outer surface of the impact sleeves carriedby said bars, when in assembled relation, has substantially the samecrown pitch as the screen panel.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 in which the screen panelcomprises longitudinally disposed spaced apart rods, a plurality oftransversely spaced bars secured to said longitudinally disposed rods toform a screen, and

' means disposed below and rearwardly of said bars for engaging thelower face of the screen to dislodge products wedged in said screen asthe mechanism is driven.

5. An anti-blinding mechanism for screening pickles, the combinationwith a driven gyrating means including a frame, of a pitched,transversely crowed screen panel mounted in said frame and gyrated bysaid gyrating means, screen support bars mounted in said frame, atransversely disposed shaft mounted in said frame a predetermineddistance below said screen, tapered impact sleeve sections looselymounted on said shaft, said sleeve sections being actuated by gyrationof said gyratory means and engaging the lower face of the screen panelto release pickles wedged in the screen as the machinery is driven.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 in which said sleeves comprise asingle elongated moisture-proof member, the outer surface of which is ofsubstantially the same crowned outer surface as the crowned screen, thebore in said moisture-proof member being of greater diameter than thediameter of the transversely disposed shaft to permit contact withproducts wedged in the screen as the machine is driven, saidmoisture-proof member being cut to form a plurality of impact sleevesdisposed in end to end relation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,122,200 6/1938Fourment 198-219 2,184,915 12/1939 Gray 198-219 M. HENSON WOOD, JR.,Primary Examiner.

R. A. SCHACHER, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN ANTI-BLINDING MECHANISM FOR SCREENING PICKLES, THE COMBINATIONWITH A DRIVEN GYRATING MEANS INCLUDING A FRAME, OF A PITCHED SCREENPANEL MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME AND GYRATED BY SAID GYRATING MEANS; SCREENSUPPORT BARS MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME; A TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED SHAFT; APLURALITY OF IMPACT SLEEVES MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT; SAID SLEEVES BEINGACTUATED BY GYRATION OF SAID GYRATING MEANS AND STRIKING THE LOWER FACEOF THE SCREEN PANEL TO RELEASE PICKLES WEDGED IN THE SCREEN AS THEMACHINE IS DRIVEN.